Ontario Institute for Studies in Education - University of Toronto

dean’s message • • • •
This has been a rewarding year for OISE, the last year
of our 2003-2009 Stepping UP Academic Plan and my
term as dean. It’s been a great seven years. Many of our
achievements are highlighted in the pages of this report,
but no such report can be comprehensive. Every
member of our community will have different highlights
– for sometimes the small, personal interactions matter
most.
That said, the past seven years have been guided
and informed by the institutional priorities articulated
in our Academic Plan. Our directions have been shaped
by robust and enlightening internal conversations about
how to respond to the provincial government’s changing
policies and the University’s changing priorities. I have no
doubt that the result is a more responsive and
productive OISE, able to make a difference to the
challenges that education faces around the world.
OISE’s degree programs – both for teacher candidates
and graduate students – were further refined in focus to
deliver meaningful and purposeful programming to meet
the changing needs of our increasingly diverse array of
students within the context of our ever more global
society. We have more students enrolled in targeted,
cohort programs, more professional master’s students
studying at OISE, and doctoral students who are
supported at a higher financial level and in more
appropriate ways. Our teacher education programs have
enhanced connections with the University and expanded
at the master’s level in order to recognize the increasing
complexity and challenges of teaching in today’s world.
Our research activity grew beyond our expectations.
We have received many new grants for research
infrastructure through the Canada Foundation for
Innovation, for outstanding faculty through Canada
Research Chairs, for research partnerships through
Community University Research Alliances, and for
research through Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council, Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council and the government of Ontario. We
have more members of the Royal Society and this past
year, one of our faculty members received the most
prestigious educational award - the Grawemeyer.
We initiated a number of multidisciplinary,
collaborative ventures within OISE, within the University,
and within the professional community. Our Consortium
with local school boards was revived, our research with
the provincial government was increased, and we were
one of the founding members of the International
Alliance of Leading Education Institutes, a global
think-tank that includes some of the best educational
faculties, schools and institutes in the world. Across the
University, the Concurrent Teacher Education Program
connected us to undergraduate education programs in six
different divisions.
Our goal of infusing a commitment to equity and
diversity throughout the Institute led to the appointment
of a human rights and equity mentor, a website to serve
as a portal of information and resources, and an OISEwide
equity and diversity policy approved by Faculty
Council.
We could not fulfill our mandate without an
infrastructure that supports our work. Seven years ago,
our physical space was in deep need of repair. Since then,
we have experienced many changes, including new
classrooms with windows and advanced technology,
elevators that are safe and efficient, accessible washrooms
and classrooms, as well as more welcoming, attractive and
safe spaces across our buildings. More work needs to be
done, but we are in a much better state.
It is thanks to the collaboration and commitment of
faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of OISE that we
have been able to achieve these goals over the past seven
years. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the
OISE community for helping us to accomplish so many
of the objectives we set forward in our Academic Plan. I
can confidently say that there is no other group of people
who are as dedicated to enhancing and advancing the
study of education.
We have also been fortunate to receive outstanding
support from our friends. In 2008, William and
Phyllis Waters generously donated $1 million toward
urban education initiatives. I am also delighted to
announce a transformative $5 million gift from
Dr. Eric Jackman to our Institute of Child Study (ICS).
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OISE Annual Report